Etch rate dependence on crystal orientation of lithium niobate

This paper presents the etch rate of lithium niobate (LiNbO(3)) as a function of crystal orientation. Etching is a fundamental technology needed for the fabrication of new sensors, actuators, and other new devices. In this study, LiNbO(3) spheres 30 mm in diameter were etched in hydrofluoric acid and a mixture of hydrofluoric and nitric acids at different temperatures and different times. The measured data of the etched sphere shape were processed and plotted, giving etch rate diagrams over the entire spheres. Based on the etch rate data obtained, the Wulff-Jaccodine method was used to predict the etched shape of 128° Y-cut and 155° Y-cut LiNbO(3). The predicted etching profiles were compared with those obtained by experiments. A least-square polynomial fit for the data was also developed and was found to be useful in removing some of the variation in the measurements.     

Model Transformer Evaluation of High-Permeability Grain-Oriented Electrical Steels

1. IntroductionThe demand for grain-oriented electrical steel asthe transformer core material having reduced iron losshajs been continuously growing for the general objective to achieve ever greater energy savings and globalenvironmental preservation. In line with this trend,efforts to reduce iron loss in steel sheets have been pursued both in hysteresis and eddy-current losses. Theformer has been improved mainly through metallurgical means such as achieving higher grain-orientationand reducin…     

Efficiency of Model Induction Motor Using Various Non-Oriented Electrical Steels

1. IntroductionThe total performance of inverter power supplieshas improved drastically as a result of the development of colltrol methods, higher performance in semiconductors, and higher speed, higher integration, andlower cost in integrated circuits, making it possible touse the inverter drive method in a wide range of rotating machinery which requires smaller size and/or variable speed drives. In line with these trends, magneticloss under nonsinusoidal waveform excitation, including lower …     

Morphological control of ZnO particles synthesized via a new and facile aqueous solution route

Zinc oxide with a diversity of well-defined morphologies was synthesized via a simple aqueous solution route by decomposing Zn_xO_y(OH)_z precursor at suitable reaction conditions. Flower-like ZnO composed of rods was obtained by treating Zn_xO_y(OH)_z precursor in the reaction solution at 90 °C for 6 h. The precipitate of layer-like Zn_xO_y(OH)_z precursor was decomposed by drying at 90 °C for 24 h in air, resulting in the formation of ZnO microtubes.     

Development and Use of a Kinetical and Real-Time Monitoring System to Analyze the Replication of Hepatitis C Virus

In microbiological research, it is important to understand the time course of each step in a pathogen’s lifecycle and changes in the host cell environment induced by infection. This study is the first to develop a real-time monitoring system that kinetically detects luminescence reporter activity over time without sampling cells or culture supernatants for analyzing the virus replication. Subgenomic replicon experiments with hepatitis C virus (HCV) showed that transient translation and genome replication can be detected separately, with the first peak of translation observed at 3–4 h and replication beginning around 20 h after viral RNA introduction into cells. From the bioluminescence data set measured every 30 min (48 measurements per day), the initial rates of translation and replication were calculated, and their capacity levels were expressed as the sums of the measured signals in each process, which correspond to the areas on the kinetics graphs. The comparison of various HuH-7-derived cell lines showed that the bioluminescence profile differs among cell lines, suggesting that both translation and replication capacities potentially influence differences in HCV susceptibility. The effects of RNA mutations within the 5′ UTR of the replicon on viral translation and replication were further analyzed in the system developed, confirming that mutations to the miR-122 binding sites primarily reduce replication activity rather than translation. The newly developed real-time monitoring system should be applied to the studies of various viruses and contribute to the analysis of transitions and progression of each process of their life cycle.     

A new leaky NRD guide based on a grating structure

Analysis and experiment of a new leaky nrd guide based on a grating structure is described. Analysis employs a mode coupling procedure which yields highly accurate results while presenting the advantage of simplicity and ease of manipulation. Numerical values for the phase and leakage constants are presented and the role of each grating parameter is assessed. Theoretical results are compared with experimental data for different geometric and constitutive parameters and reasonable agreement between them is obtained.     

Ionic conductivity of polymer electrolytes and future applications

Polymer electrolytes are solvent-free ion-conducting polymers and provide new and attractive materials in both polymer chemistry and electrochemistry. A proper understanding of ion dissociation and ion transport in such polymers is necessary for their application as solid electrolytes in electrochemical devices. Ionic conduction behaviour in polymer electrolytes is described here in relation to the characteristic properties. Of special interest is the ability of polymer electrolytes to include various kinds of electroactive molecules within them. The combination of this ability with their high ionic conductivity has enabled polymer electrolytes to be used as media for electrochemical syntheses and redox reactions.     

The extraction of iron(III) from aqueous acid solutions by di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid

The extraction of iron(III) from aqueous solutions containing sulphuric, hydrochloric and nitric acids by di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (DEHPA) in kerosene has been investigated under different conditions. As a result, it is found that although extraction is dominated by an ion-exchange reaction, the rate of iron(III) extraction from sulphuric acid solutions to reach equilibrium is relatively slow in comparison with that from hydrochloric or nitric acid solutions. In the extraction from aqueous solutions containing hydrochloric or nitric acid, however, the DEHPA combines with iron(III) according to the solvating reaction at higher aqueous acidity. From studies on the rate of the extraction from sulphuric acid solutions, examined under non-equilibrium, it is confirmed that dependencies of extraction rate on hydrogen ion and DEHPA concentrations are in the first and inverse first orders, respectively. The hydrolyzed species is considered to interpret the extraction mechanism in this system.